If you follow our blog or subscribe to our monthly newsletter, you no doubt digested some great content from us in 2014. But what should you do if you missed something? Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. We analyzed visitor traffic and compiled a list of the top 15 articles that were published to our blog in 2014! We’ll start from #15 and work our down to the top post of 2014.
Note: We had a few articles from 2013 that have stood the test of time and snuck into the top 15 but we stripped those out in order to focus solely on posts published in 2014.
#15
The Spooky Side of Logistics
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 0.71% — Read the full article
In this post from October 2014 we wanted to do something Halloween themed. Our original idea was to source information on “haunted” cargo ships but we didn’t find much on the topic. So we ended up settling on the most dangerous trade routes around the world as well as some “frightening vocabulary”.
#14
11 Reasons Using a Freight Forwarder Makes you Look Like a Logistics Mastermind
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 1.10% — Read the full article
Using a freight forwarder can make a dramatic difference for many businesses. We used our internal resources and asked some of the top minds within our company what the top reasons to use a freight forwarder are. We received a ton of response and ended up narrowing it down to the top 11. We wanted to get it down to 10 to make it a nice even number, but we didn’t want to short our readers on any great information so we left the extra one in there!
#13
Shipping Hazmat: Shocking Hazardous Materials
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 1.23% — Read the full article
There’s quite a few things you need to know when shipping hazardous materials abroad. Most people already know that. But most people don’t know that some every day products and materials are considered hazardous. In this post, we discussed some of the more interesting hazardous materials as well as briefly covering what defines a hazardous material.
#12
Peak Season Spells Delays in Asia-U.S. Supply Chains
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 1.31% — Read the full article
Shipping delays can be a customer’s worst nightmare. In this post we go over some priceless tips on how to avoid shipping delays and keep your products on shelves through peak season.
#11
Incoterms Demystified: Everything You Need to Know
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 1.43% — Read the full article
Let’s face it. Incoterms can be pretty confusing to most shippers. Working with a freight forwarder means you don’t really need to worry about the ins and outs of Incoterms, but we “demystified” Incoterms in this “everything you need to know” blog post in 2014.
#10
China’s Golden Week Coming up in October
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 1.44% — Read the full article
China’s Golden Week is an annual occurrence and it is extremely important that businesses are aware of the dates. Operations in China basically shut down for an entire week in October. This article served as a reminder to our readers that Golden Week was coming up. Considering this was our 10th most popular post of the entire year, we’d say the reminder was definitely a good idea!
#9
Made in… Africa?! Why Some Manufacturers in China Are Making the Move
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 1.53% — Read the full article
“Made in China.” These three little words have become ubiquitous in almost every country, as consumers look on the back of their television sets, at the bottom of their children’s toys, and at their clothing tags and see the insignia. Almost everyone knows that when American companies talk about outsourcing or moving their manufacturing bases overseas, they are pretty much always talking about China. Chinese workers can be hired for much lower wages than people in developed countries, so on some level it makes sense. But what happens when even Chinese workers become too expensive?
#8
China Rejects P3 Mega-Alliance, Shocking Industry Leaders
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 1.56%
After both the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission and the European Commission raised no objection to the formation of a P3 shipping alliance, China’s Ministry of Commerce has dashed all hopes of such a network. The “P3 Alliance” would have created a vessel-sharing agreement between Maersk Line, CMA CGM, and Mediterranean Shipping Co. that would have cut costs and created a more efficient vessel network on routes all across the globe.
#7
Cargo Ships Offer Attractive Alternative to Traditional Cruise Vacations
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 1.80% — Read the full article
A little known secret of the tourism industry is that these introverts and laid-back types can actually get the best of both worlds by travelling via cargo ship. Yes, you heard us right. If you sign up to tour the world on an ocean liner, you’ll likely be one of only a dozen or so passengers aboard. There will be no bingo nights, no overly priced souvenirs, and probably not even a swimming pool. Instead, you’ll find a friendly crew, delicious meals prepared in the style of whatever chef is on board, and lots of free time to roam the deck and question the crew members about their experiences on the high seas.
#6
New Nicaragua Canal Could Challenge American Authority
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 2.54% — Read the full article
In the coming years, the United States may be facing competition in the control of international waters. Why? Because Russia has entered into negotiations with China and Nicaragua to build the Interoceanic Grand Canal. The route, rejected by American engineers over a century ago, will offer a deeper, wider, and longer waterway than its Panamanian counterpart. Although the new route could provide economic benefits to countries looking to avoid the Panama Canal (namely China), Russia’s primary motivation is much more political.
#5
What You Should Know: Venezuelan SICAD II
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 3.19% — Read the full article
In 2014, the Government of Venezuela introduced SICAD II. This is the third program of its kind is designed to ease the access to foreign exchange. SICAD II came with great expectations and some concerns about its procedures and results.
#4
Why the New Venezuelan Export Ban Matters to You
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 3.58% — Read the full article
In 2014, the Venezuelan government banned the exporting of items considered essential for Venezuelan consumption, including food and hygiene products. President Nicolas Maduro’s new decree not only limited trade, but also established a new Department of Export Control as its enforcement body for anyone caught exporting.
#3
Ocean Shipping Alliances: P3, G6, CKYH… Oh My!
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 5.91% — Read the full article
The announcement of the P3 shipping network shook the ocean shipping industry and caused a ripple of effects for carriers and shippers alike. The P3 network was to be comprised of the largest container shipping carriers by capacity (Maersk Line, MSC, and CMA CGM) to share vessels and capacity. The announcement of move worried a lot of shippers since the three lines account for 37% of global container capacity.
#2
Blue Marlin, the Ship That Ships Shipping Ships
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 6.35% — Read the full article
It may not seem feasible for a ship to transport 75,000 tons of cargo at a time – but there certainly is. The Blue Marlin, a cargo ship owned by Dockwise, is a massive vessel that can tote oil rigs, aircraft carriers, and even other cargo ships across the globe. The Blue Marlin has been called upon for a number of big jobs, including carrying the Navy’s USS Cole back home and transporting an Australian aircraft carrier from Spain all the way back to the South Pacific continent.
#1
The Panama Canal: Celebrating 100 Years with 100 Facts
Percentage of Blog Traffic: 6.86% — Read the full article
Completing the Panama Canal took many years and cost thousands of lives, but to this day, it plays an extremely significant role in world trade. So we thought we’d do something special in honor the Panama Canal’s 100th birthday! We scoured the internet high and low in search of 100 facts about the Panama Canal. We’ll be the first to admit that it was quite an ambitious goal, but we did it! Some are common knowledge, but most are rare and obscure.
